Barberville, Florida – 5 nights of racing at the Dirt Car Nationals at Volusia Speedway Park Florida with the All Start Circuit of Champions and the World of Outlaws sharing the spotlight.
The Dirt CAR National is the home of the Gator trophy, one of the most sought after trophies in US Dirt Track Racing.

The big Gator is Pittmans

Greg Hodnett and Daryn Pittman picked up the first two during the All Stars program while Pittman, Schatz and Brad Sweet wrestled Gators during the three World of Outlaws shows.
After Hognett and Pittman shared the All Starts honors the opener of the 2015 World of Outlaws season started on the warn night in Florida . Pittman set about in the best possible way in his quest to capture the 2015 WoO Title and secured his second Gator with an amazing last lap pass on the 6 times and defending WoO Champion Schatz.. Lapped traffic, decision time and Schatz dived low in turn 3 and four but the newly sponsored Bad Boys Buggies driver could not hold the line and drifted up track and off the cushion.
Pittman had committed the corner and with momentum passed on the inside to take the win over Schatz and Hodnett.
A-Main – (25 Laps) – 1. 9-Daryn Pittman [3] [$10,000]; 2. 15-Donny Schatz [6] [$5,500]; 3. 27-Greg Hodnett [1] [$3,200]; 4. 71M-Joey Saldana [2] [$2,800]; 5. 49-Brad Sweet [10] [$2,500]; 6. 51-Paul McMahan [5] [$2,300]; 7. 14K-Dale Blaney [12] [$2,200]; 8. 2-Shane Stewart [17] [$2,100]; 9. 83-David Gravel [19] [$2,050]; 10. 29-Kerry Madsen [9] [$2,000]; 11. 7S-Jason Sides [8] [$1,500]; 12. 41-Jason Johnson [11] [$1,200]; 13. 11K-Kraig Kinser [20] [$1,100]; 14. 2L-Danny Lasoski [16] [$1,050]; 15. 45-Tim Shaffer [23] [$1,000]; 16. 4-Cody Darrah [22] [$900]; 17. 24-Terry McCarl [15] [$800]; 18. 98H-Dave Blaney [14] [$800]; 19. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr [13] [$800]; 20. 1s-Logan Schuchart [18] [$800]; 21. 4S-Danny Smith [24] [$800]; 22. 7-Craig Dollansky [7] [$800]; 23. 11-Steve Kinser [21] [$800]; 24. 1-Lucas Wolfe [4] [$800]. Lap Leaders: Greg Hodnett 1-5, Joey Saldana 6-25, Donny Schatz 26-29, Daryn Pittman 30. KSE Hard Charger Award: 83-David Gravel [+10]

Darin Pittman at Volusia

The teams were back on Saturday night for the next chance at a gator- The Bad Boys Buggies team had to make a last minute engine change in an effort to sort out some problems the Champ had experienced earlier in the night. Schatz out of P2 was in the race lead from lap 8 and was never headed. Joey Saldana after losing the race lead fell back into the field and finished 7th position.
Danny Lasoski and Steve Kinser completed the podium.

Donny Schatz and his Gator

A-Main – (30 Laps) – 1. 15-Donny Schatz [2] [$10,000]; 2. 2L-Danny Lasoski [5] [$5,500]; 3. 11-Steve Kinser [1] [$3,200]; 4. 27-Greg Hodnett [12] [$2,800]; 5. 49-Brad Sweet [10] [$2,500]; 6. 2-Shane Stewart [13] [$2,300]; 7. 71M-Joey Saldana [3] [$2,200]; 8. 7S-Jason Sides [11] [$2,100]; 9. 29-Kerry Madsen [8] [$2,050]; 10. 9-Daryn Pittman [6] [$2,000]; 11. 83-David Gravel [15] [$1,500]; 12. 1s-Logan Schuchart [17] [$1,200]; 13. 10H-Chad Kemenah [22] [$1,100]; 14. 1A-Jacob Allen [9] [$1,050]; 15. 41-Jason Johnson [19] [$1,000]; 16. 59-Danny Holtgraver [18] [$900]; 17. 51-Paul McMahan [4] [$800]; 18. 4-Cody Darrah [23] [$800]; 19. 1-Lucas Wolfe [14] [$800]; 20. 24-Terry McCarl [20] [$800]; 21. 11K-Kraig Kinser [21] [$800]; 22. 14K-Dale Blaney [24] [$800]; 23. 45-Tim Shaffer [7] [$800]; 24. 98H-Dave Blaney [16] [$800]. Lap Leaders: Joey Saldana 1-7, Donny Schatz 8-30. KSE Hard Charger Award: 10H-Chad Kemenah [+9]
The final night of the Dirt Nationals and the final of the  opening WoO rounds was ready to greet the green .For the most part of the fiinal A Main it was a Paul McMahan affair with the CJB Motorsports mounted driver seemingly certain to record the final round  win

Brad Sweet at Volusia

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In the final third of the race Brad Sweet started to move back through the field after leading on lap 7 only to have fallen back into the field as McMahan drove away. Sweet recovered and moved back into the lead on lap 23 and was never headed. McMahan settled for second and Pittman completed the podium.
A-Main – (30 Laps) – 1. 49-Brad Sweet [5] [$10,000]; 2. 51-Paul McMahan [1] [$5,500]; 3. 9-Daryn Pittman [4] [$3,200]; 4. 7S-Jason Sides [3] [$2,800]; 5. 29-Kerry Madsen [2] [$2,500]; 6. 71M-Joey Saldana [7] [$2,300]; 7. 1-Lucas Wolfe [6] [$2,200]; 8. 2L-Danny Lasoski [9] [$2,100]; 9. 24-Terry McCarl [8] [$2,050]; 10. 15-Donny Schatz [17] [$2,000]; 11. 27-Greg Hodnett [22] [$1,500]; 12. 2-Shane Stewart [10] [$1,200]; 13. 1s-Logan Schuchart [12] [$1,100]; 14. 83-David Gravel [11] [$1,050]; 15. 10H-Chad Kemenah [19] [$1,000]; 16. 45-Tim Shaffer [16] [$900]; 17. 14K-Dale Blaney [15] [$800]; 18. 7-Craig Dollansky [18] [$800]; 19. 11-Steve Kinser [21] [$800]; 20. 4-Cody Darrah [20] [$800]; 21. 11K-Kraig Kinser [25] [$800 22. 41-Jason Johnson [23] [$800]; 23. 1A-Jacob Allen [13] [$800]; 24. 98H-Dave Blaney [14] [$800]; 25. 63-Kody Swanson [24] [$800]. Lap Leaders: Paul McMahan 1-6, 8-22; Brad Sweet 7, 23-30. KSE Hard Charger Award: 27-Greg Hodnett [+11]

Hodnett, Pittman, Schatz and Sweet all had a small gator but it was Daryn Pittman who took the big gator when his 3rd position enabled him to finish on top of the Dirt Car National Standing after the 5 nights of racing in Florida

Pittman and Sweet at Volusia

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DIRT car Nationals Sprint Week Championship Points: 1. 9-Daryn Pittman, 2400; 2. 29-Kerry Madsen, 2386; 3. 49-Brad Sweet, 2376; 4. 71M-Joey Saldana, 2356; 5. 51-Paul McMahan, 2346; 6. 27-Greg Hodnett, 2331; 7. 2L-Danny Lasoski, 2320; 8. 7S-Jason Sides, 2317; 9. 15-Donny Schatz, 2295; 10. 83-David Gravel, 2262.
The World of Outlaws now head to Las Vegas for a two night show at the Dirt Track on March 4 and 5 .Brad Sweet leads Schatz into Las Vagas by 4 points and Pittman by 6.

All photo credits- Chris Seelman – Volusia Speedway Park

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February 2015 Brady Bacon on the cover